The present invention relates to a feed conveyor apparatus used with a gizzard cutting and washing machine of the type wherein the gizzards are preceded into the machine by their respective stomachs, the latter being employed to align the gizzards in the machine for cutting in a predetermined orientation.
It is known to be advantageous in gizzard processing machines to use the stomach as a means for orienting the gizzard for appropriate cutting. Machines utilizing this concept employ a feed apparatus designed to cause the gizzard to be preceded into the machine by the respective stomach. This is done in a trough forming a chute with a stream of water flowing down the trough. See, for example, FIG. 11 of my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,148, issued March 9, 1965, and entitled Poultry Gizzard Processing Apparatus. While such feed apparatus performs quite satisfactorily, it suffers from the disadvantage of consuming significant quantities of water. The principal object of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage and provide a feed apparatus which functions with equal satisfaction, if not better, to supply the gizzards in proper orientation to the cutting knife to be severed without the continuing cost for water. In other respects, and particularly so far as the machine operator is concerned, the present feed apparatus resembles the known devices and thus does not require any retraining of personnel so far as the loading of the machine is concerned.
The present invention employs two moving belts with a smaller belt riding piggyback on a larger belt. The stomach rides on the smaller belt, while the gizzard is supported from the larger belt and above the smaller belt by inverted "L" shaped members which are attached to the larger belt and define a platform for the gizzard at an elevation above that of the smaller belt. The smaller belt is moved at a greater speed than is the larger belt thereby exerting a pulling force on the stomach to draw the respective gizzard into the desired alignment for cutting.
Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings.